1.0The Living Desert Zoo and Gardenshttps://www.livingdesert.orgLT Dev Teamhttps://www.livingdesert.org/author/ltdevteam/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="SoX3Z7BvKl"><a href="https://www.livingdesert.org/zoo-news/conservation-news/propagation-in-the-coachella-valley-preserve/">Propagation in the Coachella Valley Preserve</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.livingdesert.org/zoo-news/conservation-news/propagation-in-the-coachella-valley-preserve/embed/#?secret=SoX3Z7BvKl" width="600" height="338" title="“Propagation in the Coachella Valley Preserve” — The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens" data-secret="SoX3Z7BvKl" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); //# sourceURL=https://www.livingdesert.org/wp-includes/js/wp-embed.min.js /* ]]> */ </script> https://www.livingdesert.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/propagation_in_the_coachella_valley_preserve_1-1.jpg11511535In the summer of 2021, Emily Thomas and Natalie Gonzalez of The Living Desert's Conservation Department, accompanied by The Living Desert's propagator Jose Marfori, trekked through the Coachella Valley Preserve in search of seeds from honey mesquite trees (Prosopis glandulosa). These native trees can sometimes appear more like a low-growing shrub but can also reach up to 50 feet tall with straight, sturdy spines along their branches and feathery foliage. During specific times of the year, mesquite produce delicate, yellow flowers and, as is common for legumes, long “bean pods” that contain fruit and seeds. A great source of nutrients, the pods are eaten by many different species of wildlife. The Living Desert's staff surveyed many mesquite trees and collected seeds from ten different parent plants in the Preserve. Since then, our Conservation Team has grown over 100 trees, more than 10 per parent plant, taking care to maintain the local genetic components of the mesquite in that specific ecosystem, while still producing trees with genetic variability suited to that area. The Living Desert's Conservation Team, including staff and volunteers, propagated and cared for the plants until October 2022 when they were large enough to out-plant. This was no small feat as the trees have to go through many processes in order to get them ready to go back into the desert. Just to have successful propagation, the team had to remove seeds from their sturdy pods, scarify (scratch to just barely expose the embryo) each one, soak them all overnight in warm water, and then plant them into a specific seed mix soil. Because the field team was so successful in procuring seeds, they were able to collect enough to test different methods of seed processing and propagation, and found this strategy to be the most successful. This propagation process mimics that of being eaten, going through a digestive tract, and then distributed via fecal by wildlife. Many species of wildlife, including Gambel’s quail, jack rabbits, and coyotes, eat the pods of mesquite trees. Mesquite trees are, however, utilized in many different ways by native animals. Small rodents like kangaroo rats and lizards, including desert iguanas, will climb the trees to eat the foliage, birds nest in the canopy, pollinators visit the flowers to collect nectar, and multiple butterfly species lay their eggs on it for their caterpillars to consume once they hatch. In order to be of such great ecological importance, trees must live to maturity and become well-established in their habitat.